I stood in the cotton ball aisle and debated the merits of name brand and store brand products. If both were 100% cotton, did it really matter?

In the midst of my analysis, I became aware of the second calling of "Ma'am!"

Ma'am?

Black leather jacket, black purse, black dress pants and black dress shoes...but ma'am?

I turned to her.

"What kind of make-up would you recommend?"

Say what? She was, ironically, standing in front of my favorite brand. I pointed to what I use and said I mostly like it.

"Does it look good?" she asked.

You tell me; you're a foot away from my face!

I told her I plan to get more of the same when it comes time to reload. I pointed out the powder I use. She then asked how to match skin tones.

Are you serious? I'm the one who's done this to other strangers in store aisles. What made her think I had any credentials? We matched the tube to the back of her hand, but she didn't seem eager to leave.

Ask her to church.

Don't want to!

Ask her to church.

She'll think I'm a freak! Somebody who's accosted her in a public discount center...

She talked to you...

And we have this Easter production coming up...perfect, less-threatening intro... But I couldn't just launch in.

"Are you from around here?" I asked.

She nodded and told me about a little town down the road. "But I work here."

"Where do you work?" Seemed like a logical question, though possibly a bit forward for two strangers.

She told me, and I smiled. "Do you know B?" I asked. He's a friend, the husband of one of my most trusted friends, and my boss as well through a freelance web design project that supports the business my new stranger-friend works at. B and I also go to the same church.

She said she hadn't met him yet, but that gave me the "church" connection. I blathered on about how if she didn't have a church, she should check out this Easter thing we're having. It's a good way to get your foot in the door without necessarily getting committed to something until you're sure about it.

And she didn't walk away.

Didn't make up an excuse and run. Even when her five-year-old son threw the container of makeup out of her cart, she stayed engaged.

"I haven't been going much lately, and I need to. I went all the time when I was pregnant, but now my boyfriend doesn't go, and... I've gone to this other church a few times, but it's all old people, and they look at me like, 'Why doesn't she raise her kid better?' I'm a single mom, and I just need to get to church..."

I'm really protective of my time and my phone number, but I asked if she had a cell phone and I gave her my number. "Call me," I said, "if you're interested in going some morning. And they've got lots of stuff for little people."

My time... My phone number...

I've been reading in Second Peter lately, and my M.O. is to read the same passages until I "get" something. I read the same passage a lot of mornings in a row.

II Peter 1: 6-8
"Next, learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you. This will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply. The more you go on in this way, the more you will grow strong spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus Christ."

I think I can go on to verse nine tomorrow morning.